Headlight-operating mechanism.



No. 7l2,433. Patented Oct. 28, I902.

G. F. CHAPMAN. HEADLIGHT OPERA-TING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Aug. 8, 1902.)

2 SheetS-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

WITNEEEBE 7 @6 Patented Oct. 28, I902.

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Apglicatiou filed Aug. 8, 1902.)-

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

FIG- 6.

WITNESSES- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. CHAPMAN, OF MARLBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TOLEVI WALLACE, OF AYER, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEADLIGHT-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,433, dated October28, 1902.

A Application filed August 8, 1902. Serial No. 118,894. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. CHAPMAN,

of Marlboro, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlight- OperatingMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for connecting a pivoted headlight on astreet-car or other vehicle with a portion of the runninggear of saidvehicle, so that when the vehicle is running on a straight portion oftrack or roadway the rays from the headlight will be directed along apath in line with the longia car-body and a truck-frame which will becompact and also out of the way of other appliances which may be locatedbeneath the car. i

To these ends the invention consists in the construction and combinationof parts, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of part of thefront portion of a street-cantogether with the front truckframe, andshowing one embodiment of mypresent invention. Fig. 2 represents a planview of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the corresponding portion of thecar-body being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 represents a detail planview of a portion of the connection with the truck-frame. Fig. 4represents a detail view, partly in section, of the complete connectionsshown in Fig. 1 between the bolster Fig. 5 repre-I ;naled in the ears orbearingscc.

the bolster and an arm on the rock-shaft. Fig. 9 represents a detailplan of the connections shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 10 represents a viewsimilar to Figs. 1 and 6, but representing another modification of theconnections. Fig. 11 represents a plan View of the connections shown inFig. 10. Fig. 12 represents an enlarged detail side elevation of a partof theconneetions shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 13 rep- 6o resents a section onthe line 13 13 of Fig. 12 looking in the direction of the arrow.

In the drawings, a represents a portion of the body of a street-car, andor represents a portion of the front fender or dasher of the car, or amay he considered as representing the front wall of a vestibule at oneend of the car-body.

1) represents an independently movable part below the body a, said partbeing in this instance the bolster portion of the truckframe, saidportion being pivotally connected at b with the body a. l

0 represents a holder which is affixed to the part a of the car-body andis here shown as a bracket having two ears or bearings c c.

(1 represents the headlight, which is secured to a vertical stud ortrunnion d, jour- The relative arrangementof the headlight d, shaft ortrunnion d, and the car-body is such that the headlight can occupyacentral position, so as to direct its rays ahead in line with thelongitudinal center'of the body or can be turned or deflected to directits rays to either side of 8 5 said longitudinal center. In theembodiment of my invention now under consideration the headlight isnormally held in its central position and isautomatically deflected fromsaid position by changes in the position of the bolster I) throughconnections between the headlight'and the bolster. The connectionsillustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, comprise an arm e, rigidlyconnected with and projecting forward from a partof the 5 truck, as thebolsterb. A bifurcatedlug fis pivoted to the arm e at f and is providedwith a short rod g, projecting forward therefrom and entering a sleeveh, the forward end of which sleeve is provided with the ball '1 comember 41 of a ball-and-socket joint. The

socket member is of said joint is suspended by a crank-arm Z, dependingfrom a rockshaft m, suitablymounted in bearings m beneath the car-body.A shaft n, mounted in a suitable bearing at the bottom of the frontbetweeh the lugf and the arm 6, together with the sliding connectionbetween the rod 9 and the sleeve 71., will provide for a rockingmovement of the truck-frame relatively to the car and for the differencebetween the direction of movement of the arm a, which swingshorizontally on a vertical axis, and the crank-arm Z, which swings on ahorizontal axis.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 6, 7,

8, and 9 the parts and their connections remain substantially the same,excepting those between the rock-shaftmand the forwardlyprojecting arm eof the bolster. In said figures the forward end of the arm 6 is providedwith a rigid upright stud 10, having a lateral pin 19. Said pin enters avertical slot q, formed in the side of a socket q. From the top of saidsocket an arm or rod (1 extends forward and through a vertical slot 7"in an adjustable crank-arm r, secured on the rockshaft m. Theconnections between the rockshaft m and the vertical stud d of theheadlight are substantially the same as in Fig. 1 and hereinbeforedescribed. The sliding con nection between the studp and the socket q ofthe arm g provides for the same relative movements as that for which thepivot f is employed in Fig. 1. The pin p, projecting from the stud 19through the slot q of the socket, causes the arm g to vibrate'laterallywith the rigid arm 6 of the truck-frame, and said arm g through the arm11, which is secured on the rock-shaft m, causes the latter to rock andthrough the shaft n turns the headlight.

In Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive, the rear end of the rock-shaft m hassecured to it a crankarm 8, the wrist-pin s of which enters between thearms of a fork t, which latter is swiveled to the front end of the arm6. In this form the height of the fork is such that difierences inelevation between the truckframe and car-body are compensated for.

In each form the device at the rear end of the rock-shaft m isessentially a crank, while the intermediate member between it and thearm 6 of the truck-frame is a compensating one.

In another application for Letters Patent for improvement in devices foroperating headlights, filed June 13, 1902, Serial No. 111,559, I haveclaimed the combination, with the truck of a car, a body thereon, and aheadlight, of suitable connections between the headlight and the truckfor turning said headlight and means interposed in said connections forautomatically varying their length in unison with the independentmovements of the car-body and car-truck.

The present invention is embodied in a combination of elementsconstituting relatively compact, durable, and simple connections betweenthe headlight and truck. Important elements of said combination are asfollows: lirst, the arm e, projecting forward from the truck-frame andmovable laterally and horizontally by the turning movements of thetruck-frame; secondly, the substantially horizontal rock-shaft betweensaid arm and the shaft of the headlight, the rock-shaft having a crankwhich oscillates in a vertical plane, means for communicating motionfrom the arm to the crank and rock-shaft, so that the latter is turnedin its bearings and caused to correspondingly turn theheadlight-supporting shaft by horizontal movements of the arm, saidmeans having provisions, therefore, for compensating for the differencebetween the direction of movement of the arm and the direction ofmovement of the rock-shaft. The combination as a whole also hasprovisions for converting lateral movements of the arm into turningmovements of the headlight.

I claim 1. The combination with a truck-frame and a body, of a headlightmechanism comprising an arm projecting forward from the central portionof the truck-frame and movable laterally by the turning movements of thetruckframe, a headlight pivotally mounted on the forward portion of thebody, and self-adjusting connections between the arm and headlight,whereby lateral movements of the arm are caused to impart correspondingmovements to the headlight.

2. The combination with a truck-frame and a body, of a headlightmechanism comprising an arm projecting forward from the central portionof the truck-frame and movable laterally thereby, a headlight pivotallymounted on the forward portion of the body, and connections between saidarm and body having provisions for converting lateral movements of thearm into turning movements of the headlight.

3. The combination with a truck-frame and a body, of a headlightmechanism comprising an arm projecting forward from the central portionof the truck-frame and movable laterally thereby, a headlight pivotallymounted on the forward portion of the body, a substantially horizontalrock-shaft journaled below the body and extending lengthwise thereof,connections between the rear portion of the rock-shaft and the said arm,through which the shaft is rocked by lateral movements of the arm, andconnections between the forward portion of the rock-shaft and-theheadlight, through which the headlight is turned by the movements of therock-shaft.

4. "lhe combination with a truck-frame and a body, of a headlightmechanism comprising an arm projecting. forward from the central portionof the truck-frameand movable laterally thereby, a headlight pivotallymounted on the forward portion of the body, a rockshaft jonrnaled belowthe body and extending lengthwise thereof, flexible connections betweenthe forward portion of the rock-shaft and the headlight, and flexibleconnections between the rear portion of the rock-shaft and the arm, thelast-mentioned connections having provisions for compensating for thedifference between the direction of movement of the arm and thedirection of movement of the rock-shaft.

.5. The combination with a truck-frame and a body, of aheadlightmechanism comprising an arm projecting forward from the central portionof the truck-frame and movable laterally thereby, a headlight pivotallymounted on the forward portion of the body, a rockshaft extendinglengthwise of the body, connections between the forward portion of therock-shaft and. the headlight, and compens sating connections betweenthe rear portion of the rock-shaft and the said arm, the saidcompensating connections includinga crank member engaged with therock-shaft, and an intermediate compensating member between the crankmember and the arm.

6. Thecombination with a truck-frame and a body, of a headlightmechanism comprising anarm projecting forward from the central portionof the truck-frame and movable laterally thereby, a headlight pivotallymounted onthe forward portion of the body, a rockshaft extendinglengthwise of the body, connections between the forward portion of therock-shaft and the headlight, and compen sating connections betweentherear portion ofthe rock-shaft and the said arm, the said compensatingconnections including a crank member engaged with the rock-shaft, and anintermediate compensating member jointed at one end to the arm andengaged at its other end with thecrank member. a

7. The combination with a truck-frame and a body, of a headlightmechanism comprising an arm projecting forward from the central portionof the truck-frame and movablelaterally thereby, a substantiallyverticalheadlight-supporting shaft journaledon the front end of the body, asubstantially horizontal rock-shaft journaled below the body, flexibleshaft and the headlight-supporting shaft,and

compensating connections between the rear end of the rock-shaft and thesaid arm.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence oftwowitnesses.

GEORGE F. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses: Y

A. W. HARRISON,

C. F. BROWN.

